Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Holiday Tag using Tim Holtz's Christmas Cutouts and Funky Nordic Die Sets

We are fully embracing the holiday cheer (and showcasing Tim Holtz products while we're at it) over at the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog.  To fulfill this week's holiday theme, I made a tag using Tim's dies, Distress Crayons, and Distress Paint.

I started by cutting out shapes from two of Tim Holtz's die sets: Christmas Cutouts and Funky Nordic.  I really like all of his "funky" lines of products.  Once I had them cut, I colored them in with Distress Crayons and Distress Paint.

While those were drying, I cut a background tag out of Kraft Heavystock paper and outlined it with more Distress Paint (is there any richer, deeper, purple-ier purple than Villainous Potion?)  I also added some snow dots using Tim's Halftone stencil and white acrylic paint.

There was nothing left to do but glue my shapes onto my background and add the "Joy" letters.  I did outline my shapes with a black pen to give them more of a defined edge, then to continue the look of snow, I dotted a few random snow speckles in front of the mountains and houses.  

Here are the supplies I used that you can find at Simon Says Stamp:

• Tim Holtz Sizzix Framelits Tag Collection Die Set
• Tim Holtz Christmas Cutouts Die Set
• Tim Holtz Funky Nordic Die Set
• Tim Holtz Distress Kraft Heavystock
• Tim Holtz Halftone Stencil
• Distress Crayons: Set 1, Set 2, Set 12
• Distress Paint: Villainous Potion, Picked Raspberry, Twisted Citron, Saltwater Taffy, Mustard Seed, Cracked Pistachio, Kitsch Flamingo, Cracklin' Campfire, Seedless Preserves, Peeled Paint, Salvaged Patina
• Sizzix Big Shot
• Strathmore Mixed Media Paper

How will you show your holiday spirit this week?  Upload your creations to the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog for your chance to win a $25 voucher to the Simon Says Stamp store.

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Snowy Tag using Studio Light's Ini Mini Zig Zag Journal Dies

We are inspired this week by a gorgeous freezing cold mood board over at the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog.  I live in a snowy part of the world, so I'm no stranger to being COLD!  I love coats and hot chocolate and big fluffy blankets, but this tag reflects how I feel when I have to drive in the snow.  Not a fan!

To make this tag, I cut out some fun die shapes from Studio Light's Ini Mini Zig Zag Journal dies.   I wasn't sure which shapes I would use, but this set has a lot of quirky borders and loops.  The die set also comes with a row of tags that are connected so you can make an accordion type of tag journal, but you can also cut the tags apart and use them separately.  I cut my pieces out of Strathmore Mixed Media paper.

Next I glued my shapes together and added this cute girl from Tim Holtz's Photobooth images.

I painted the tag in shades of icy blue with some green accents.  I also added some stenciled snow and drew a winter hat for the girl.  I used Distress Watercolor Pencils to color the hat.

I added the BRRRRR sentiment using alphabet stamps and put the hat on my little friend here.  I colored around the square picture image with Distress Watercolor pencils and this tag was done!

Here are the supplies I used which you can find at Simon Says Stamp:

• Studio Light Ini Mini Zig Zag Journal Dies
• Tim Holtz Photobooth Images
• Distress Watercolor Pencils
• Simon Says Stamp Falling Snow Stencil
• Strathmore Mixed Media Paper
• Sizzix Big Shot
• Dina Wakley Acrylic Paint: White, Sky, Lapis, Olive
• My Favorite Things Connected Alphabet Stamp Set
• Ranger Jet Black Archival Ink

We're looking forward to your take on our mood board!  Upload your creations to the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog for your chance to win a $25 voucher to the Simon Says Stamp store.

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Foil Tag using Tim Holtz's Seasonal Scribbles Stamp Set and WaterColor Pencils 3

This week's Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge theme is to incorporate foil, or a foil-y look.  I used some silver metallic paper to do just that on the shiny tree that's a part of my Christmas tag.

No process pics this time as the process was too off the charts to even try to follow, let alone photograph.  It involved paint, ripping things off, gluing things back on, etc.  But in the end, I really do like the look that the metallic paper gave to my twig tree.

Here are the supplies I used that you can find at Simon Says Stamp:

• Ranger Kraft Tags
• Tim Holtz's Seasonal Scribbles Stamp Set
• Tim Holtz Watercolor Pencils, Set 3
• Tim Holtz Dotted Stencil
• Dina Wakley Scribble Sticks, Set 1
• Sizzix Big Shot
• Simon Says Stamp Matte Silver Cardstock
• Dina Wakley Acrylic Paint: White, Olive, Lime, Sky, Ruby, Turquoise

Don't let this week's challenge foil you (see what I did there?).  Be sure to upload your creations to the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog for your chance to win a $25 voucher to the Simon Says Stamp store!

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Thanks Tag using Studio Light's Funky Tags and Whimsy Stamp's Boho Alphabet Stamps

Thanks/Thanksgiving is this week's theme for the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge!  There is so much to be grateful for and I love this time of year for reminding me to look for the blessings that are all around us.

I started with a die-cut tag from Studio Light (it's stack of paper tags that are already cut into this funkily fantastic shape).  I glued on some Dina Wakley ledger paper because when I stare at a blank slate, it helps if I put something else on top of it even if it gets totally covered up later.

Next I went in with white acrylic paint and Tim Holtz's Gradient Dots stencil.

One of my favorite stamps of all time, that I reach for when I need to get something creative flowing, is Tim Holtz's Halftone and Rings.  LOVE IT.  I paired those rings with a scribble shape from Tim's Media Marks 1 stamp set.  I also smeared on some turquoise and olive paint, then filled in some of the circles with white paint.

Bring on the color!  Here it is with some pink and orange paint added into the mix.

Since I was in stencil mode, I added some smaller dots using Altenew's Halftone stencil and some Forget Me Not archival ink.  I also added some brown tones to the edges of the tag.  I splattered on some Dina Wakley media gloss spray in Cheddar and Lemon.

I liked the splatters, so I added in a third layer of them using black media gloss spray.  Last but not least, the sentiment.  I stamped the words, "A Grateful Heart" on some scratch paper then fussy-cut it out and glued it to my tag.  The letters are from Whimsy Stamp's Boho Alphabet stamp set.  It's a clever set because it has words already built, but you can cut the words into individual letters and they've included all the spare letters, too, so you have the entire alphabet at your disposal.  You can stamp the pre-made words or invent your own.  Genius move there, in my opinion.

Here are the supplies I used that you can find at Simon Says Stamp:

• Studio Light Funky Tags
• Whimsy Stamps Boho Alphabet Stamp Set
• Tim Holtz Halftone and Rings Stamp Set
• Tim Holtz Media Marks 1 Stamp Set
• Tim Holtz Gradient Dots Stencil
• Altenew's Halftone Stencil
• Dina Wakley Ledge Paper, Set 1
• Dina Wakley Media Gloss Spray: Cheddar, Lemon, Black
• Dina Wakley Acrylic Paint: White, Turquoise, Olive, Blushing, Peacock, Tangerine, Carnation, Sky, Umber
• Dylusions Acrylic Paint: Pure Sunshine, Tropical Sangria
• Ranger Wendy Vecchi Archival Ink: Forget Me Not
• Ranger Jet Black Archival Ink

We can't wait to see your projects focusing on thanks/Thanksgiving!  Upload your projects to the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog for your chance to win a voucher to the Simon Says Stamp store.

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Art Journal Page using Dyan Reaveley's Small Creative Journal and Dina Wakley's Everyone is Welcome Stamp Set

It's time to do some art journaling for this week's Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge!  We're also featuring Dyan Reaveley products, so I did a page in her small creative journal.  These pages are super-sturdy and hold up nicely to layers of paint and gesso and water.

I started the page out with a layer of Dina Wakley's white gesso.  When that dried, I mixed and smudged and smeared acrylic paint and water onto the page.  When that was dry, I stenciled on some stars using white acrylic paint and Simon's Scattered Stars stencil.

As that was drying, I stamped some images onto a separate piece of paper using Tim Holtz's Glitch 2 stamp set and a set by Carabelle Studio called Chromatic Grunge.  These mostly got covered up, but it's all part of the process!

I tore out some of the images, glued them to my painted journal page, then added more layers of paint on top.  I dabbed on some fuchsia dots while I was at it.

I sketched an arch using Dina Wakley's Scribble Sticks and stamped out the sentiment using Dina Wakley's Everyone is Welcome stamp set.  Then I found a picture from Tim Holtz's Portrait Paperdolls and added that, along with a crown I drew and decorated.

I love the sentiment and always hope I can be a lifter for someone else and not just a leaner all the time.

Here are the supplies I used that you can find at Simon Says Stamp:

• Dyan Reaveley Small Creative Journal
• Dina Wakley Everyone is Welcome Stamp Set
• Tim Holtz Portrait Paperdolls
• Carabelle Studio Chromatic Grunge Stamp Set
• Tim Holtz Glitch 2 Stamp Set
• Dina Wakley Scribble Sticks, Set 1
• Simon Says Stamp Scattered Stars Stencil
• Dina Wakley White Gesso
• Dina Wakley Acrylic Paint: Fuchsia, Turquoise, Lemon, Peacock, Night, Sage, White, Sky, Olive
• Dylusions Acrylic Paint: Tropical Sangria, Strawberry Daiquiri

Try your hand at art journaling and upload your creation to the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog for your chance to win a $25 voucher to the Simon Says Stamp store.

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Christmas Card using Prima's Candy Cane Lane Paper and Poppy Stamp's Whittle Forest Reindeer Stamps and Dies Kit

This week's Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge theme is Christmas and I'll be the first to proudly proclaim NOT READY!  But I appreciated the creative kick in the pants to get thinking about all things St. Nick.  I went with time-conservation in mind and made a card using an adorable patterned paper Santa scene so half the work was already done for me.  I'm not sure if that makes me lazy or smart, but yes to both today.

Here are the materials I started out with: a 3x4 journaling card from Prima Marketing's Candy Cane Lane collection and a tree I die-cut from Poppy Stamp's Whittle Forest Reindeer Stamps and Dies Kit.

I painted the tree and cut a star out of a Simon Says Stamp die set.  I added little dots of colored paint onto the tree, then I stamped the sentiment (which also comes in the Poppy Stamps kit).  I added some turquoise paint around the edges of my card.

I outlined the tree, star, sign, and card itself with a black ballpoint pen, then it was assembly time.  I glued this together and added just a touch of green and pink around the edges.  

Here are the supplies I used that you can find at Simon Says Stamp:

• Prima Candy Cane Lane 3x4 Journaling Cards
• Poppy Stamps Whittle Forest Reindeer Stamps and Dies Kit
• Simon Says Stamp Stars Die
• Sizzix Big Shot
• Dina Wakley Acrylic Paint: White, Lemon, Sage, Lime, Olive, Turquoise, Ruby, Carnation, Ocean
• Dylusions Acrylic Paint: Tropical Sangria
• Ranger Jet Black Archival Ink

Are you ready to start making Christmas projects?  Upload your creation to the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog for your chance to win a $25 voucher to the Simon Says Stamp store.

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Pennant Banner Garland using Pinkfresh Studio's Ornate Banner Dies

This week's Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge theme is "home decor."  I ended up making a garland using banner and pennant dies.  I put our family motto on it: Do Good Anyway.  Life gets busy and crazy and while we have good intentions, it can be difficult to follow through on those good intentions for whatever reason.  So that's why I landed on Do Good Anyway as our family motto instead of just "do good."   The "anyway" means we still try to do good even when it's intimidating or we're tired or it's inconvenient or someone isn't appreciative or, in our minds, deserving of our goodness.  We don't let life or people sway us from trying to do good in any circumstance.  I'm not perfect at this AT ALL, but that is the goal.

I started by painting a bunch of nonsense onto a big piece of sketch paper.  This is just water and acrylic paint swooshed around with a brush, then when that dried, I added lines with a graphite pencil and Distress watercolor pencils.

I cut the paper into banner shapes, but the sketchbook paper is flimsy, so I cut another set of banner shapes out of Strathmore Mixed Media paper and glued the sketchbook paper banners onto the sturdier Strathmore Mixed Media banner backgrounds.  I added some white paint and cut scallops out of Dina Wakley's ledger paper and glued it to the top.  I did some outlining with pencil, Distress watercolor pencils, then outlined the entire banners with a black Sharpie.  I also finger painted some dots on there.

I wanted a different shape on my garland, so next I cut out some Pinkfresh Studio ornate banner shapes and started painting and scribbling on them.  I used Tim Holtz's dotted stencil to add some polka dots in the background.

I added some more color and scribbled around the edges, added some white paint to tone it down a bit, then outlined them with a black Sharpie.

I decided I wanted a bigger panel for the middle of my garland, so I repeated the process described earlier.  I wanted to add a sentiment, so I cut out "do good" letters from Tim Holtz's Cutout die sets (uppers and lowers).  I painted them and outlined them with a Sharpie.  The "anyway" that is added to the final product was typed with a typewriter.

Once all of my panels were made, I added a few more scribbles and finishing touches, including splattering everything with Dina Wakley's black gloss media spray.  Then I took strips of fabric and sewed them together into a long patchwork ribbon and sewed the banners and pennants onto the ribbon.

I am lucky enough to have a whole room for my crafty chaos and it has some angular sections.  There is one little alcove that is just wide enough to fit a desk.  Behind the desk is one of my favorite finds: an old weathered pink door with a window section that unlatches and can swing open.  I bought it at the most magical little hole-in-the-wall artsy store that used to exist on the main street of my town.  The store is long gone (the owner moved away, which was a huge bummer for me personally, though I wished the owner the best, of course), but I was able to buy that door when the shop was closing down.  Now I use it as the backdrop behind my desk.  I added some baskets to hold some of my finished projects and tags, etc., and I love how the door reminds me of that shop that always made forgotten dusty things look beautiful.  I thought the garland was a perfect fit for the top of the door. 

Here are the supplies I used that you can find at Simon Says Stamp:

• Pinkfresh Studio Ornate Banner Die Set
• Honey Bee Stacking Banners Die Set
• Tim Holtz Cutout Alphabet: Upper Case and Lower Case
• Tim Holtz Dotted Stencil
• Tim Holtz Watercolor Pencils, Set 2
• Sizzix Big Shot
• Dina Wakley Ledger Paper, Set 1
• Dina Wakley Black Gloss Media Spray
• Dina Wakley Paint: Sky, Olive, Blush, Tangerine, Rouge, White, Turquoise, Marine, Lapis
• Dylusions Paint: Polished Jade, Tropical Sangria, Cherry Pie
• Black Sharpie

What home decor item will you make this week?  Upload your creations to the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog for your chance to win $25 to the Simon Says Stamp store.